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Beta Taurius II Campaign
|conc= |next= |name=Beta Taurius II Campaign |image= |conflict= |date=November 30, 2537 - May 28, 2539 |place=Beta Taurius system, primarily the colony of Beta Taurius II |result=Pyrrhic Covenant victory *Beta Taurius II and its moons are *The Covenant gains a safe passageway into the |side1= |side2= |side3= |comm1=* * Edward Ralstone * Kenneth Masters *General Mathew Newellberg * Daniel Redmund |comm2=* *Minister of Jubilance * Wira Jur 'Nofatinee *Supreme Comander Xora Wom 'Arodee |comm3=Unknown |forces1=* **Beta Taurius Defense Fleet **3rd Naval Fleet **6th Naval Fleet **12th Naval Fleet *** **17th Naval Fleet **18th Naval Fleet *** **23rd Naval Fleet **27th Naval Fleet **31st Naval Fleet **Assorted units **Taurian "Wet Navy" * ** ***Various ** units * ** *** **UNSC Marine Corps Hostile Environments and Hazardous Operations group ** *Taurian units ** * *Various civilian volunteers and Taurian law enforcement units |forces2=*'' '' **''Fleet of Divine Fate'' **''Fleet of Odious Mirth'' **''Second Fleet of Abstinent Perserverance'' *''Fleet of Morose Countenance'' **''Third Fleet of Recombinant Menace'' **''Fifth Fleet of Obstinate Regality'' **''Second Fleet of Degenerate Secularity'' **''Minor Fleet of Audacious Wrath'' *''Army of Ceremonious Sanctity'' **''Eleventh Imperial Artillery Division of Indistinct Solidarity'' **''First Imperial Artillery Division of Prodigious Virulence'' **''Seventh Cavalry Division of Chivalrous Dedication'' *''Army of Vengeful Intent'' **''Fourth Imperial Artillery Division of Quintessential Obscurity'' *''Army of Pious Serenity'' *''Army of Impotent Transgression'' *''Third Overseeing Army of Righteous Emnity'' **''Army of Forthright Justice'' ***''Imperial Artillery Division of Tumultuous Reformation'' **''Sixth Minor Army of Luminous Youth'' **''Second Army of Unencumbered Humility'' ***''Cavalry Division of Indefinite Loyalty'' |forces3=Various, included both uniformed and non-uniformed fighters |casual1=Heavy civilian and military losses |casual2=Heavy |casual3=Unknown, presumably heavy }} The Beta Taurius II Campaign was a large-scale engagement during the Human-Covenant War that lasted well over a year. Beta Taurius II became one of the last of the to be glassed by the Covenant, and its destruction was key for allowing the Covenant into the Inner Colonies and ever closer to fortress worlds such as and . The Beta Taurius II Campaign was a harsh and unforgiving bloodbath, with enormous casualties inflicted on all sides. It eventually devolved into a conflict of attrition, becoming a contest to deplete and deprive resources. The UNSC and the Covenant quickly became locked in a bitter stalemate, drawing out the conflict for roughly 18 months. The UNSC fought the Covenant invaders tooth-and-nail for weeks on end over even the smallest pieces of land, in a manner similar to the brutal trench warfare that was characteristic of the First World War, sans the namesake trenches in most cases. Order of Battle Prelude Blockade By late 2537, the Covenant had thoroughly ravaged the Outer Colonies, and was now continuing its path of destruction into the Inner Colonies. However, a few surviving outer colonies had pooled their military resources to blockade the Inner Colonies and carefully monitor activity, in a desperate effort to impede the Covenant's progress. This made it difficult for the Covenant to attack the Inner Colonies, and when fell to SPARTAN-III Alpha Company, it became even harder to support troops there. The Covenant Prepares to Attack the Beta Taurius System The Covenant needed to punch a hole in the blockade in order to effectively continue their genocidal campaign against humanity. They set their sights on Beta Taurius II, an isolated colony near located directly in the middle of the blockade. The Fleet of Odious Mirth, a sub-fleet of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction, dispatched a small group of ships led by the Meager Offerings of Wisdom to set up bases and fortifications on Beta Taurius II and several of its moons. Once this had been completed, a portion of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction led by Supreme Commander Wira Jur 'Nofatinee and the High Prophet of Regret headed to the Beta Taurius system. The Invasion Begins The assault force arrived near Beta Taurius II on the morning of November 30, 2537. The UNSC was immediately alerted to their presence thanks to the enormous slipspace rupture, but they were soon overwhelmed by Covenant ground forces teleported to the surface via deployed by the Meager Offerings of Wisdom. For two months the vastly outnumbered human forces on Beta Taurius II attempted to fend off the invaders, but by February the planet was nearly lost. Admiral Cole Takes Command